And the Posturing Continues – GOP Wants Governors at the Summit

According to Politico’s Glenn Thrush, Republicans haven’t finish their RSVPs to tomorrow’s health care meeting because they were hoping President Obama would open the forum to governors.

The White House has denied a request by Hill Republicans to include governors at tomorrow’s Blair House health care summit, according to a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).

“The White House has apparently decided not to allow any of America’s governors to attend the health care ‘summit’ tomorrow,” wrote Boehner spokesman Michael Steel in an email.

“We are disappointed to announce that the White House has advised Leader Boehner that its expectation is that congressional leaders will appoint only Members of Congress as their representatives at the summit, on the grounds that the discussion is ‘about legislation.’ … [H]e is disappointed the White House has excluded our nation’s governors and state legislators from the summit.”

A White House spokesman hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

The White House included the House and Senate leadership in an initial list of invitees, along with the chairmen and ranking members of the committees involved in crafting the House and Senate reform bills. The White House also asked Republicans and Democrats to each invite eight additional members of Congress. The Democratic leadership in both chambers has already announced who will fill its additional slots, as has the Senate Republican leadership. The House Republican list is the only one still outstanding.